Top 3 Workwear Tips

It can be hard to express yourself and feel fashionable while staying within your employer's dress code, especially when it's as restrictive and casual as mine- jeans and sneakers required. But hopefully these tips will help you out. No heels? No skirts? No problem!

1. Work within the guidelines. Remember how I mentioned sneakers are mandatory here? Well, while everyone else is running around in tennis shoes, I prefer to interpret the rules in my own way.

My favorite Rocketdog "sneakers"

Sinfully comfortable, thankfully free of that squeaking noise sneakers can make against a linoleum floor, and far more expressive of my personal style than exercise sneakers. I'm so obsessed with these that I even got my gym teacher to accept them as sneakers, and I wear them so often that they are literally falling apart- the canvas is worn thin, the edges are fraying, and the red thread at the toe has unraveled. This beat up effect, along with the model of the shoe, adds a rocker/grunge vibe to any outfit. My style changes from preppy to boho to edgy depending on the day, so having these shoes is great for instantly changing the feel of an outfit while sticking to my dress code!

2. Use colors, cuts, and textures to your advantage. Although I love jeans, somehow being told I can't wear any other pants makes me resent them a bit. When I really think about it, though, the category of jeans is so expansive, I know I can't get bored! Especially with the trends this summer, it's so easy to incorporate jeans into your wardrobe. For a girly, flirty look try floral jeans, which have been everywhere this season!

Try these adorable jeans from Wet Seal!

Not into patterns? Bright solids are also huge right now.

These awesome jeggings from Delia's come in a bunch of pretty shades!

3. Use makeup to express yourself! First check what other people are wearing- if absolutely no one else puts on any makeup, you might feel awkward. But otherwise, it's a great outlet! Try a bold winged or cat-eye liner for an edgy look.

For a flirtier vibe, go with a fun lip color- as I said above with the jeggings, brights are all the rage this summer!

This bright pink is super daring and sure to make you stand out!

Hope these tips help you keep sight of your style within the restrictions placed upon you at work, and have a great rest of the summer! Back-to-school posts will be coming your way soon :)

Trend watch: Tangerine

Tangerine is a huge color right now (especially after tangerine tango was named Pantone's color of the year), but it can be hard to pair. Here are some questions to ask yourself so you can make it work with your style and skin tone.

Statement or subtle?
Are you trying to be bold with your color choice, or merely show your knowledge of color trends off in a simple outfit? If its the former, go all out and wear a cool pattern involving tangerine, or maybe a statement necklace. If it's the latter, go for a pretty lightweight blouse in tangerine, perfect for the warm summer months!

These cute floral shorts

This gorgeous J. Crew Bubble necklace

This polished but casual polka-dot blouse

Formal or casual?
Will you wear tangerine to a nice dinner out or to the beach with friends? If you need a more formal look, a darker color would be better, in a more polished fabric like silk or satin. Try a deep tangerine dress, or a sheer button down tucked into a white pencil skirt. Add some nude pumps and you'll be looking classic yet trendy! If you're going casual, opt for a softer fabric in a pastel or neon. Try a pretty pastel tangerine floaty dress as a coverup on a trip to the beach, or toss on some bright shorts to hang out at the mall with friends.

This gorgeous number from Free People for an evening party- also comes in mint, another trendy color this season!

This light piece for fun at the beach.

Pale or tan?
If you're pale, orange is probably already a hard color for you to wear. Stay away from pastel tangerine, as it will make you look washed out (pastel pink or lilac would be more flattering). However, a neon hue can actually make you look tanner, while a darker shade of tangerine will bring out your porcelain skin in a good way. If you have a deeper skin tone, it will be pretty easy to get away with this. If you get your tan from a bottle, though, you have to be especially careful not to use an orange-y spray tanner. Wearing a shade of orange with that will just bring it out! Pastel or a dark shade would look great and bring out your tan even more, while a more muted color will blend in and do little for your skin tone.

For pale skin, try this gorgeous neon orange in a classic cut

If you're tan, check out this pastel pinky-orange with cute neon detailing

A great option for pale OR tan skin is this deep tangerine- the red tone will work well with either skin type!

Once you've thought about your answers to these questions, you should be good to go. I hope this helps you pull off this gorgeous, fun color!